Seven Times You
by sallythedestroyerofworlds23
Summary: Seven oneshots featuring Rukia's favorite things. Written for Rukia's birthday challenge on BA's IchiRuki FC. Day 7: Ichigo.
1. 1: Chappy

**Chappy**

Yuzu likes to think that she knows the people she cares about better than anyone. Maybe it's because of the maternal role that she assumed in the family ever since their mother was gone, but she had always felt a responsibility for knowing exactly what it is that her makes her loved ones happy. Secretly, she also feels a bit of pride in this.

Ichigo is no exception to this unspoken rule. Despite his reserved personality, she knows of things that most people would never guess at: his sweet tooth for chocolate, his love for Shakespearean works, his preference for tight clothing… She pays attention to it all. It is no surprise that she is typically the best gift-giver in the Kurosaki household (although she would never assert so verbally- she is also the sweet one, after all).

But through seventeen years of living with him and taking note of all his little preferences, Yuzu never would have guessed that her older brother has a thing for rabbits. In fact, she wouldn't have thought to associate him with small and furry animals of any kind.

She was, however, forced to reevaluate her assertion when one day, -after agreeing to go help her grocery shopping (meaning that he would be going to carry the numerous bags)- the two of them were met with a couple of men selling the adorable little pets right outside the supermarket. Naturally, she had squealed in delight at the sight of them and rushed over for a closer look. Ichigo had -seemingly- reluctantly followed, and stood by her as he waited for her to finish her ogling. She had, at one point, turned to him expecting to see his trademark scowl heavily in place, and maybe even hear some annoyed grumbling about 'hairy rodents' as well. Instead, she found herself looking at a very rare sight.

Ichigo had been smiling. Not one of the cocky smirks that she is used to seeing, even if those themselves weren't all that common; no, it was something else entirely. His lips were just slightly bent upwards, the crease between his eyebrows had almost disappeared and all his facial features were more relaxed than she had seen them in too long. His eyes, especially, which she has always loved for their expressiveness, were soft and held an affectionate look. It had taken a moment for her to realize that his expression was for none other than the sweet bunnies in the cardboard box.

Though it was odd and almost out of character for the Ichigo she had always prided herself in knowing so well, from that moment on Yuzu added a love for rabbits to the list of Ichigo's characteristics. She never mused about it to anyone else, knowing that he would probably not be too happy about how it would affect his reputation, but secretly she thought it was actually very cute that he had a soft spot for them.

When, during the spring cleaning of the house, she found a leftover doodle that she recognized immediately as having been done by the petite woman who had shared a room with her and become something like an older sister during her stay, she was eager to show it to Ichigo for more than one reason. It had been during a time that he had been a little more under the weather than usual, and she thought that it would cheer him up to see the drawing by his friend, especially because of what said drawing was: _a rabbit. _

Ichigo's reaction to that had not been exactly what she'd expected. At first, his eyes had widened in surprise and then his face had fallen. His eyes looked almost _dejected_ for a moment, and there had been another emotion swimming in his brown orbs that she couldn't quite place. As quickly as that look had come though, it was gone and he was scoffing, complaining something about the 'drawing skills of a five-year-old'. However, just a few weeks later she had been cleaning his room while he was busy at work and stumbled upon the carefully folded drawing sitting in his closet. Though she had to wonder why he would choose such a place to keep it, the fact that he _had_ confirmed that, however he might act, the eldest Kurosaki sibling did actually have a special liking for the cute animals.

Her conviction of this new-found quality did not wane later on, and it was so that when Ichigo's birthday came around that summer, Yuzu had the perfect gift for him. For those who haven't guessed it, it was a rabbit plushy. Sure, he wasn't a plushy-loving person per se, but she hadn't thought he would appreciate the responsibility of the real thing. Still, she couldn't help but feel some measure of disappointment at his reaction when she gave him the present. He had looked genuinely confused, and gave her an uncertain _"Uh… thanks, Yuzu",_ along with a ruffle of her hair. He had smiled at her afterwards, and she saw him take the plushy to his room along with his presents from Karin and Dad; but he hadn't shown her the smile that she had been hoping to see. She had wanted him to smile like he had when he saw those rabbits in front of the supermarket, with that uncharacteristically soft expression she had rarely seen him wear.

Yuzu didn't get to see that expression again… Not until now. She knows it is wrong of her to spy on her brother, and he would probably be pretty annoyed if he finds out, but she can't help her curiosity. It's only natural, she justifies to herself mentally, after seeing him walk into the house with none other than Rukia Kuchiki by his side after over a year of her being absent. Now she and Karin, who was just as curious as she, look on in amusement just as they hear Rukia happily squeal _"Chappy!" _and pull out a white rabbit plushy -which Yuzu recognized immediately- out of the closet in his room.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Yuzu wondered at her brother's apparent liking for saving things in his closet, but more pressingly she finds herself fixed on a sight that she had been yearning to see before. As Rukia hugs the plushy tightly to her chest, looking at it with proverbial hearts in her eyes, Ichigo looks at _her._ And his lips are just slightly bent upwards, the crease between his eyebrows smoothed, his eyes unguardedly soft…

Then without warning, the scowl returns to govern his features and he reminds the woman with no small amount of annoyance that the rabbit is _his;_ but the softness hasn't left his eyes.

Yuzu has to stifle a giggle and she decides that they've taken advantage of their brother's lack of awareness enough, and walks away from the threshold of his room, pulling her not-so-willing sister back with her. When they reach a safe distance, she turns to her twin with a bright smile.

"I told you Onii-chan likes rabbits!"

Karin looks at her incredulously for a second before she shakes her head and smirks, giving Yuzu a sly look and pat on the shoulder before saying,

"I don't think it's the _rabbit_ that he likes_._"


	2. 2: Cooking

**Cooking**

_Something smells good_, was Ichigo's first thought as he stepped inside his home after a long day of school. He followed his nose to the kitchen, expecting to find Yuzu in her apron putting the finishing touches in whatever meal she had prepared for that day, but was surprised to find a different, petite, raven-haired woman.

"Rukia?" he blinked, looking around in confusion, as if expecting to find Yuzu hiding somewhere behind the counter.

The female shinigami was wearing an apron and a bandana to hold her hair back from her face -excluding that strand that would always hang between her eyes-, and was holding a large spoon that was still dripping with whatever she had used it to mix in the pan sitting on the stove; there was even some of the brown substance splattered on her cheek, which she had either failed to notice or hadn't cared about enough to wipe away. Her violet eyes were large as she stared at the unexpected intruder.

"Ichigo! You're back from school already?" her tone was halfway between excited and dismayed.

He frowned at that, unsure of what to make of her reaction. "Obviously." he answered her question, trying to look around her once more for any sign of his younger sister. "Where's Yuzu?" he finally settled on asking.

"In her room, with Karin." Rukia said as she turned back to lean over the pan. Ichigo once again was reminded of the smell that drifted from whatever it was that she was cooking, and found himself walking towards it like a dog after the scent of a treat. "I told her to rest because I would be cooking today."

Rukia's declaration made him halt behind her. "You cooked this?" he tried to give her an incredulous look, but it proved futile as she was too engrossed in her own concoction to turn to him. He hunched over her and tried to look over her shoulder, but was shoved back with surprising force. "By yourself?" he continued to question.

That got her attention. "What are you implying?" she asked through a narrow-eyed gaze that he recognized as a warning.

He raised his hands in an appeasing gesture. "It's just that the last time you tried to cook, you needed help from most of Soul Society and ended up making enough food to feed like three divisions."

She blushed at that, and he couldn't deny the satisfaction that he got from seeing the uncharacteristic reddening of her cheeks. "It's not like that!" she quickly defended herself. "I made sure I had the right proportions this time." she added a little huff on indignation at the end, for effect.

Ichigo bit back a grin at how easily riled up she could be sometimes, then moved to reach over her for the contents of the cooking pot. Only to have his hand smacked mercilessly by the giant spoon.

"Hands off, Ichigo!"

"What? I just want a taste." he tried to appear innocent. "Just to make sure you're not trying to poison my family."

He should have really expected that elbow to the gut.

"No." she declared with a tone that made it clear there was no room for negotiation. "It's bad enough that you arrived here already, you're not ruining this further by tasting it early."

Ichigo frowned. "Well sorry for ruining things for you." He didn't bother trying to hide the small amount of hurt lining the sarcasm in his words.

Rukia rolled her eyes, like he was an overdramatic child. "I wanted to surprise you, fool."

He visibly brightened at that, though he would never admit to his delight out loud. "Oh?"

"Yes," she looked at him with exasperation. "Now would you make yourself useful and go tell your Dad and sisters that dinner is ready?"

"Okay." he shrugged, feigning turning away before moving back towards her and letting his hand dart out too quick for her to take notice, wiping the spilled over brown substance on her cheek and licking it off his thumb before she had a chance to blink. "Nice curry." he declared smugly, figuring that the return of the red coloring on her cheeks was a sign of her imminent anger.

"Ichigo!"

He made his way upstairs with a limp.

Not long after, the Kurosaki family plus one sat around the dinner table in relative silence as they each savored and judged for themselves the meal prepared by Rukia. Of course, it was the oldest and loudest of the group who voiced his opinion first.

"Oh Masaki!" Isshin cried out with tears in his eyes. "I am so lucky! Our precious third daughter is also a heavenly cook!"

"Shut up, old man." Ichigo glared, but refrained from physically attacking his father as he concentrated on his plate.

"But he's right, Onii-chan," Yuzu chirped sweetly. "This is really good, Rukia-nee! I think you might be better than me!"

Rukia chuckled politely at that. "No one could be better than you, Yuzu." she smiled genuinely at the younger girl. "But I'm glad you like it."

"Not bad at all, Rukia." Karin accentuated her assessment with a loud, shameless burp.

"Karin!" her twin chastised.

"Thank you." Rukia replied happily, unruffled by the display. Her smile softened as her eyes scanned the people at the table, and her eyes shone with unabashed affection before she spoke. "I… I wanted to thank you all for your hospitality."

Everyone remained quiet as they shifted their attention to her. Ichigo, sitting directly across from her, felt understanding taking place.

"You've all been so kind to me, from the start…" the woman continued, her gaze falling to the plate in front of her as she was apparently unable to meet the eyes of the family. "More so than I deserve, and I-"

"Idiot." Ichigo cut her off, earning himself a gasp that he assumed came from Yuzu. "Since when do freeloaders worry about stuff like that?"

"Onii-chan!" Yuzu had turned her scolding voice on him.

He didn't react to it, however, because in that moment he was focused on Rukia, who had now lifted her gaze to meet his eyes with wide, shimmering pools of endless violet. "I never said I was worried, stupid." she said after a long pause.

Ichigo felt his lips curling in an all-too-familiar smirk. "No, I guess you didn't."

And she was smiling back at him. Because despite her quick denials, they both knew what she'd meant. She may not have liked to say it in so many words, but to Ichigo, who felt like he could read her like he could read one of his favorite Shakespeare volumes, it was clear she hoped her food would transmit the gratefulness that she felt she could never put into words. And to Rukia, he knew, his casual dismissal was nothing more than his way of saying_ "You're welcome."_

But because he was Ichigo, and she was Rukia, they never _could_ say it in so many words. Then again, they never needed to.

"What a blessed father I am!" Isshin broke the silence after their exchange. "I have such an understanding daughter! She will make a wonderful wife!"

Ichigo choked on his food. "What the hell, _goat face?_"

Rukia could only smile as the family slipped into their usual dynamics. No amount of food would ever account for a quiet dinner in that household. And she wouldn't have it any other way.


	3. 3: Niisama

**Nii-sama**

Being an older brother had its downsides.

Byakuya couldn't help but think so as he stood at the Kuchiki manor, facing the large expanse of the garden and the two people currently sitting by the koi pond, their backs to him. Despite the fact that any shinigami with basic skills should be able to sense his captain level reiatsu from a mile away, the pair no more than a few yards from him seemed utterly oblivious to his presence as they talked, bantered, and even let out the occasional laugh. He might as well be invisible.

It was unfair, really. For years he had been given full responsibility of her; protected her from any harm that could come to her, done all he could to shield her. Then he had to stand by helplessly as he watched her run into the arms of some _boy_.

If he had been anyone but himself, he would have scoffed. But he was Kuchiki Byakuya, head of the Kuchiki clan and captain of the Gotei Thirteen's sixth division: he did not scoff. He limited himself to a slight crease between his eyebrows.

_What am I supposed to do now?_, he found himself looking up towards the heavens, visualizing a pair of gentle amethyst eyes and a kind smile._ Hisana...?_

When he had agreed to his wife's final request, he never thought he would have found himself in his current position. He never thought he would end up loving that lonely orphan girl he found at the academy.

Now he saw a different woman before his eyes. Wearing her shinigami robes, vice captain badge displayed proudly on her arm, and dark violet eyes bright with confidence… Most striking of all, however, was the wide smile splitting her face. She was barely recognizable, and yet sometimes he couldn't help seeing that lost, nervous girl who would shuffle quietly beside him with her head bowed.

"Nii-sama!"

He was snapped out of his inner musings by the very subject of them. He looked down to find her hurrying towards him, her orange-haired companion following on her heals.

"Rukia." he greeted her neutrally, refusing to let any of his lingering thoughts show anywhere on his façade. He directed a nod of acknowledgment at the other male. "Kurosaki."

"Yo, Byakuya."

He made a conscious effort to keep his eyebrow from twitching. The boy would never learn proper formality.

"Nii-sama, I'm sorry we didn't greet you sooner." Rukia was saying. "We didn't realize you were already here."

"It's fine, Rukia."

His brief answer seemed to please her, as a smile quickly lit her face. Still, he noticed with some resignation, it was not quite the same as the brilliant smile that she had been wearing moments ago when she didn't know he was looking.

"Umm, Nii-sama?"

"Yes?"

"Ichigo and I were just planning to go to the Junrinran district for dinner." she announced. "He wanted to see a little bit more of Soul Society outside of Seretei. Would you like to come with us?"

She was looking up at him with those large, violet eyes; hopeful eyes that still carried a pure innocence in their depths that made him want to pull her into her room and lock her away from any danger for eternity. For a long time he had done just that. Removing her name from the list of candidates for becoming seated officers, keeping a close eye on her at all times… And yet none of that had been enough in the end.

He knew now. Locking her up would only make her unhappy; and she wouldn't even be truly safe. He had to learn to step aside.

"I…" he began to answer, looking at her and then at the frowning orange-haired boy at her side. "I am sorry, but I have business to attend to."

"Oh." she momentarily deflated, and for a second he started to ponder if he had made the right decision.

"Come on then, I'm starving." Interrupted the boy, putting one hand on her small shoulder and giving her a shake as if to rush her.

He was rewarded with a swift elbow to the side that left him doubled over, and Byakuya had to suppress the smile that threatened to pull at his lips with the swell of pride that he felt.

"Don't be so impolite, fool!" Rukia chastised, seemingly forgetting her own propriety in the process. Then she turned to look back up at him, and her features were carefully softened once more. "We'll be going then, Nii-sama. I'll see you later."

He nodded stiffly, but felt lighter at the subtle promise in her words. _Later_. She wouldn't be leaving him permanently… Not that day, at least.

With one last smile, she turned away from him. "Let's go, fool."

"Don't boss me around!"

Just like that, Byakuya felt himself fading into invisibility again. He started to turn away, to head back inside his all-too-empty manor when an unexpected voice stopped him.

"Byakuya!"

He turned his head only slightly, to glance at the boy over his shoulder; he could already see Rukia's retreating figure getting smaller in the distance.

Kurosaki began absently scratching a spot on the back of his head, his eyes focused on a seemingly interesting point on the grass. "We won't be back too late." he said.

Byakuya gave the faintest of nods, nothing else. Then the boy dropped his hand to his side and looked up at him, eyes set with a familiar, fiery determination.

"I'll take care of her." he said firmly. And then he was gone, flash-stepping to catch up with the petite woman.

He left too soon to notice that slight tilt that Byakuya finally allowed to curl his lips.

He was not ready to let go… But he felt some of his fears being quelled. He knew, from first-hand experience after all, that his little sister would be in good hands.

And that boy, that had challenged him and saved all of them what seemed like so long ago, was no boy at all. No…

If he was being honest with himself, Byakuya would have to admit that given the choice, Kurosaki Ichigo would be ideal man to trust with his most carefully guarded treasure.

Perhaps he wasn't ready yet, but he was learning to let go.


	4. 4: Sode no Shirayuki

**Sode no Shirayuki**

Sometimes Ichigo wonders if he will ever stop being awed by the sight of Rukia in battle.

She is powerful, he knows. He's known that since the day he met her. Even when she had no spiritual powers to speak of and was stuck in a faux body, supposedly depending on him, Rukia was never weak.

But seeing her defend herself with kido and sheer force of will was a far cry from seeing her in full battle mode. The entire world seems to come to a stop around her the moment she releases her snow white zanpakuto, the icicles that fly into the air reflecting the moonlight and giving the whole scenery an ethereal beauty. Her movements as she closes in on an enemy are fluid and graceful. He thinks that the names of her attacks are too appropriate, for she appears to be _dancing_ rather than fighting. But he knows very well that as entrancing as it may be, the dance is deadly.

He is sharply reminded of this as he just barely escapes the tower of solid ice that appears at her command, encasing everything within the circle where he had been standing a split second earlier. He can hardly finish uttering a disbelieving curse before he has to flash step again to avoid an oncoming wall of ice.

"You've gotten faster." he remarks as he lands a few feet away from her, a smirk shaping itself on his face.

"No," she replies with a slight shake of her head. "You've just gotten slower." And with that, she sends another massive wave of ice his way, without so much as calling out the attack.

He dodges and comes to land at a small rock formation that allows him a fair vantage point of the training area they're occupying, but as his eyes scan the perimeter, he can't find her slight form. A slight shift in the air current behind him is his only warning and he turns just in time to block her direct attack. Their swords clash at the same time as their eyes meet.

His large, unusually shaped Zangetsu against the slender and elegant Sode no Shirayuki. The blades resonate against each other with humming power, but instead of pushing against each other with the intent to kill, it feels almost as if they are lapping familiarly over one another. Ichigo can feel the temperature drop caused by her zanpakuto but instead of the bone-biting chill that one might expect, it washes over him in cool, gentle waves. It feels almost like a soothing snow fall to his blazing heat.

They stay connected for what seems like an endless moment, but at last, they break apart. Both are breathing heavily, but are otherwise fresh. Rukia's robes and her midnight-colored hair are fluttering around her, the ribbon at the end of her sword floating almost majestically behind her, and he catches himself staring before he can help it.

"You really have gotten faster," he says, partially because it's true, but mainly to break the silence while he is unable to tear his eyes away from her form.

She is like a vision; and he can't help feeling that she could fade away right before his eyes at any moment.

He clutches Zangetsu a little tighter, and feels the reassuring traces of her power still lingering within the blade. _She isn't going anywhere_, he has to remind himself.

"Well I've had some time to train." she says now, and begins to walk calmly towards him; an unspoken agreement that they are taking a break from their sparring session. As she comes closer, he can see the badge on her left arm all too clearly. "Since I didn't have _you_ to look after." she teases, a smile appearing on her face.

He feels himself smiling back, but not so much because of her jab as for the feeling of completion that overtakes him in that moment.

For seventeen months he was alone; parts of his world were missing. But now it has all come together.

He wants to take in the moment, but he feels the pull of Zangetsu in his hand, brimming with energy and calling out to its nearby opponent. Rukia seems to feel the same thing because she looks down at her zanpakuto, then back up at him. A heartbeat passes and their smiles morph into smirks, the silent understanding reflected in their eyes before they jump and their blades cross once again in a shower of sparks.

And Ichigo can't stop smiling because, at last, his world is in balance.


	5. 5: Memories

**Memories**

The fading orange light of a late afternoon painted the town as Rukia passed through it, moving among dozens of Karakura residents as if she were just another one of them. Just another human.

But she wasn't. As she walked by one of the many stores lining the sidewalk, she caught her reflection on the glass window, and she could see all too well the dark violet eyes staring back at her, framed by midnight black hair and porcelain skin. Not a single wrinkle or gray hair to mark the passing of time on her form, despite the fact that she was probably older than most of the people surrounding her.

To the passing onlooker, it would appear that Rukia was untouched by time. But the opposite could not be more true. One of the advantages -or disadvantages, depending on how one looked at it- of the afterlife was a memory that remained clear throughout the decades.

Rukia could still remember the different moments of her life like the passing seasons.

She could see her days of running through the streets of Inuzuri with a pseudo family of parentless children in the red, yellow and orange shades of autumn. The mixture of the impending cold with the warmth that refused to fade entirely; it was the harsh life on the street and the constant threat of thirst combined with the happiness of being with Renji and the others.

Then came the winter of the lonely days at the Academy, and being adopted into the Kuchiki family. It was beautiful; the elegance and poise of her brother, the luxury of her new home. But it was as cold as the snow of the season.

Spring came with her entering the Thirteenth Squad and meeting Kaien. The hope and promise of new life, a fresh start. The warmth of Kaien's words and his smile that would melt away the winter chill… They were the kind of memories that were tinted with a rosy hue.

And then there was…

"Oi, Rukia!"

She halted in her tracks and turned to see a very familiar male pushing his way between those crowding the sidewalk to reach her.

"Wait up!" he called, getting closer.

She felt a smile come unbidden to her face.

And then there was summer.

"What are you doing out here?" Ichigo asked, the barest hint of a smile on his lips. "I thought you were staying home."

_Home_. His house. His family. And yet… _Their_ home.

That was summer.

It was sleeping in closets, and kicking overly loud stuffed lions. It was loud dinners with brawling father and son, and a girl's snarky remarks followed by her sister's gentle scoldings. It was lazy afternoons spent in the park and after school walks by the river bank.

It was unruly orange hair and bright amber eyes; a deceptively playful scowl and a confident smirk.

"I went out for a walk." Rukia said, looking up at him.

"So close to the school?" he questioned, the beginnings of a wicked smile curling his lips. "You weren't waiting for me, were you?"

"Don't flatter yourself!" she punctuated her reply with a quick punch to his arm.

Ichigo winced and clutched the offended area, giving her a glare that had no real venom in it. "Tch. I was only kidding."

Rukia folded her arms over her chest and gave him her best Kuchiki stare. He wasn't fazed by it long before he nudged her arm, then pointed in the direction where she had been walking before. "Come on," he said. "If we hurry we can still catch the sunset by the river."

She didn't question him, or even throw a teasing jab at him. The two merely made their way down the familiar path that they had walked many times before, watching the shadows they cast stepping side by side.

"Hey, Rukia,"

_But…_

"Yeah?"

_Most of all…_

"How long are you going to stay this time?"

She took a moment to answer.

_Summer is right by your side._

"As long as I can."


	6. 6: Vice Captain Duty

**Vice Captain duty**

It was a sunny afternoon when Ukitake Jushiro, captain of the Thirteenth Squad, sat just outside the barracks of his division watching a few of his subordinates go through some routine training exercises. It was a habit of his to observe these sessions when he was not too ill to do so, for he always thought that to properly lead, one must know those he is leading; these provided a good opportunity for that. What was unusual, however, was the company that he had that day.

"Lieutenant Kuchiki!" One of the men, a fairly new recruit transferred from the fourth division, started with surprise at the sight of the vice captain.

Kuchiki Rukia stood before him with one hand on her hip; despite reaching only to the man's shoulder, the authority with which she stood made her appear much taller.

"Sato-san." she spoke in a clear, steady voice. "Your stance is incorrect."

The man was sweating and he stood shakily, looking like a nervous child expecting a scolding. Rukia paid that no mind as she moved around him and grabbed a hold of his arm, positioning it until it was stretched out horizontally at her eye level; then she unceremoniously pulled on his shoulders and straightened his back. Once she appeared satisfied, she took a step back and folded her arms over her chest, looking at him expectantly.

"Now don't stutter!" she instructed, her violet eyes blazing with intensity.

The man nodded once before commencing the kido chant, his voice firm and much louder than before.

"Hado no.33 _Soukatsui_!"

A ball of blue energy was fired from the palm of his hand and blew away the target a few yards away flawlessly. The now-grinning man turned to Rukia, who stood with a large smirk on her face.

"I did it!" he said incredulously.

"Well done, Sato." she looked at him approvingly.

"Thank you, Lieutenant! Couldn't have done it without you!"

Captain Ukitake smiled as he watched the exchange, before Rukia moved on to aid another struggling officer. "She is a good mentor, don't you think? Ichigo-kun?"

The orange-haired shinigami substitute sitting beside him clicked his tongue. "She should be. She's had plenty of practice bossing me around."

Despite his gruff tone, Ukitake could see the glint in the young man's eyes as he watched her. _Pride_ would be an accurate enough word to describe it, but the older man thought that there was more swirling in those brown orbs.

He chuckled lightly at the young man's response. "It's hard to believe she has only been a lieutenant for little more than a year. It seems as if she has been in the position for a long time."

"That's not surprising." Ichigo said, making the captain curious at his reply.

"Oh? What makes you say so, Ichigo-kun?"

The young man started scratching the back of his head as he averted his gaze towards the sky. "Well, that's the thing about Rukia. She has a way of wiggling into your life and making it seem like she was always there."

Ukitake felt apprehension at his seemingly casual words, his expression softening as he looked at the substitute and then glanced forward and saw his vice captain, unaware of the two pairs of eyes on her. As he saw the young woman loudly scold one of her subordinates before smiling at his progress, the white-haired captain couldn't help but see in his mind's eye a broad-shouldered young man, with unruly dark hair and a bright, genuine smile.

_"What are you doing, Kuchiki?"_ that man had shouted.

"What are you doing?" her voice echoed his words in the present.

_"With that form you'll lose your sword before the hollow has taken its second swipe at you!"_

"Holding a sword like that won't get you halfway through a fight with an average hollow!"

_"Show me what you can do!"_

"Let's see what you're capable of!"

At the same time as Rukia successfully disarmed Shiba Kaien in his memory, her own zanpakuto fell to the ground before his eyes and the subordinate who had been sparring with her gaped, before his face broke out in a triumphant smile.

Ukitake felt his lips curling in a bittersweet smile as he saw the student become the teacher right before his eyes.

"Perhaps," he began to muse out loud, following the line of Ichigo's previous words. "It seems that way because she was always meant to fill those places."

Ichigo didn't respond, but a slow smile appeared at the corners of his mouth as his eyes found her form once more.


	7. 7: Ichigo

**A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who read and reviewed! It's time for the final chapter, I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did :) And most importantly of all: _Happy birthday, Rukia!_  
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><p><strong>Ichigo<strong>

No one questioned her when she decided to stay.

In fact, if she didn't know any better, she would think that they actually had expected it. After blacking out during the last moments of the battle against the fullbringers, she had awoken in the Urahara shop, and it was the shopkeeper himself who informed her that the other shinigami -her brother and Renji included- had already returned to Soul Society. Perhaps the blond man had read the distress on her expression because he was quick to relay the message left to her by her brother:

_"Tell Rukia that she is to stay here until she has recovered, for as long as that may take. I have already advised Captain Ukitake of the situation and he will not demand her presence for the time being."_

Rukia had been startled to hear what she understood, from much experience, to be her brother's blessing. And if he had spoken the truth, which was an unquestionable matter given who he was, then she also had her Captain's approval.

She hadn't known what she'd expected, but certainly not that it would be so easy. She hadn't even decided that she wanted to stay until she woke up at Urahara's; and yet her choice had clearly been anticipated.

"What are you thinking so hard about?"

She snapped out of her confused thoughts at the sound of an unmistakable gruff voice. "Ichigo! You're back already?"

The recently reinstated shinigami substitute nodded and hopped up unto the roof where she sat. "They didn't put up much a fight." he explained. "My dad is taking care of the arrangements for the burial. We'd give him a proper funeral but…"

_But everyone who cared about him is dead or missing_. He doesn't speak the rest out loud, but the meaning is clear.

Rukia nodded understandingly, not asking him to say any more than he needed to. Ichigo fell into silence as he flopped down beside her, still in his spirit form from his visit to Soul Society, so that his reiatsu flowed unrestrained between them. The feeling of his power, strong but not menacing, flowing into her like a reassuring current instead of a suffocating force, was so achingly familiar that if she just closed her eyes she could so easily imagine it washing over her like a protective blanket as he stood confidently between her and the fatal flames of the Sokyoku, wearing a smile so bright that she would have joked rivaled the color of his hair, had she not been rendered completely speechless in that moment.

_Ichigo…_

He didn't question her choice to stay either. Not even when he told her that he would be heading back to Soul Society in order to retrieve Ginjou Kuugo's body, and she replied as casually as possible that she would be waiting for him, in his world. There had been a flash of something in his eyes then, but he had turned away before she could observe any further reaction.

Still, Rukia couldn't help but wonder why it was that everyone had been so seemingly ready for a decision that she herself had only recently made.

"You know, when I fought him," Ichigo spoke up, his voice quieter than usual and his expression a somber one. He did not need to specify the man whom he was referring to. "I saw something in his eyes, besides his anger. I think it was… envy."

Rukia turned to watch him with a careful expression, waiting patiently for him to go on without wanting to push him for anything he did not want to share.

"He was so angry at Soul Society, at being betrayed by those he believed cared about him…" He went on, his gaze fixed on something only he could see. "I couldn't help but think that, that could have just as easily been me."

She saw the telltale signs of how truly troubled he was in the way his fists tightened over his lap, and his eyebrows furrowed deeply into a heavy grimace. She waited for a moment before exhaling a puff of air. "Idiot." she said without looking at him. "That would never have been you. That's not the Ichigo that I know in my heart." For all the simplicity with which she spoke them, she believed her words wholeheartedly.

He didn't say anything immediately, but out of the corner of her eye she noticed his hands easing open and his posture subtly relaxing after a moment.

"That's the thing." he said suddenly, and she turned to look at him, something about his tone taking her by surprise. "I don't think I would be this way if… If it wasn't for you."

Rukia felt something catch in her throat as she was met by an unexpected intensity in his burning amber orbs, matched only by that in his words. She wanted to say something, she really did, but she found that her voice wouldn't work. She was tempted to reach a hand up to place over her chest, where her heart had suddenly begun to beat considerably harder, but she resisted the urge and simply held his gaze as evenly as she could manage.

In the past, she might have scorned his words. She would have told him that he was crazy and easily dismissed his ramblings as giving her too much credit. But right then, she couldn't find any way to say something like that. Because she understood all too well the way he felt.

"Rukia," Ichigo spoke up again after a long moment. For the first time since the long stretch of silence, he tore his eyes away from hers, as if he couldn't look at her as he spoke his next words . "I don't think I ever told you before, but you… You changed my world. In more ways than I thought possible."

She was startled for a moment. The words were familiar; she had once heard Renji relaying something similar to her as they escaped from the grounds of her supposed execution. But never had she heard anything like it coming directly from Ichigo himself.

And suddenly, everything was clear.

Why the others weren't surprised by her decision, why her brother and her captain didn't try to stop her… If she truly thought about it, she would have to admit that deep down, her decision had been made long before she had even pondered it.

She had changed his world… _And you changed mine._

"Ru-" Ichigo started after he thought she was quiet for too long, but just as he started to turn towards her, he found his face being tugged forcefully in that direction by Rukia herself. Before he could question the fact that her hand was now on his face or the reason for her action, his lips were abruptly sealed by her own.

It was, of course, the natural order of things that because they were each responsible for each other's worlds, they were inextricable parts of them respectively. For that reason, she belonged where he was, and vice versa.

It had been clear to everyone else, and in that instant, as their lips connected for the first time in a moment that seemed frozen in time, it couldn't be more obvious to either of them.


End file.
